The CEO’s Billion Dollar Bride

Chapter 30: 31. The first conversation between father and daughter Chapter 30: 31. The first conversation between father and daughter The moment Ivy Aretha looked up, she met an equally shocked and rigid face. A familiar visage, familiar scent, but with unfamiliar eyes. When they met again, it felt as though ages had passed.

After a while, Ivy came out of her daze. The boy who was once naive had now become Mr. Gilbert, the general manager of Gilbert Group. Their past relationship had long become a thing of the past. He had married, and she had given birth.

Ivy Aretha looked up slightly and smiled, revealing eight teeth—a standard professional smile. “Mr. Gordon is inside, please step inside, Mr. Gilbert!”

In contrast to Ivy’s calmness, Zach Gilbert was noticeably agitated. His eyes were fixed on Ivy, so deep and intense. His voice trembled, “Ivy, why is it you? Why are you here?”

“What does it matter why I’m here? Our CEO is inside, Mr. Gilbert, please go in…”

Ivy hadn’t even finished her sentence when Zach’s sudden actions caused her to falter, her gaze fixated on her wrist that he held tightly.

“Mr. Gilbert, please behave yourself!”

“Ivy, don’t be like this, don’t treat me like this!” Forgetting why he came here, Zach looked at Ivy with intensity.e with intensity.

“Don’t be like this?” Ivy suddenly found this funny. “Then how should I be? Should I say, long time no see?”

Usually, this is the most appropriate thing to say to someone who you haven’t seen in a long time. But Ivy Aretha only wanted to treat him as a stranger now. Everything between them ended six years ago. Even though it was thanks to Michael Gordon, such a fragile love was bound to end sooner or later.

“Ivy, you know I didn’t mean it like that!” Zach continued to look at her deeply, with no intention of letting go of her hand. “Where have you been all these years? When did you come back? How have you been? Why are you Michael Gordon’s secretary?”

Zach’s series of questions bombarded Ivy, and she didn’t even have time to decide which one to answer. His unwarranted concern caused Ivy’s mood to fluctuate.

Ivy, who had been calm and uneventful, couldn’t help but feel a spark of anger when she heard his words.

“Where I’ve been and when I returned are not important anymore. You’ve seen how I am. As for why I’m Michael Gordon’s secretary, that’s none of your business. Mr. Gordon’s time is limited so, if you don’t have a meeting with him, I’ll arrange the next one immediately.”

As she said this, Ivy Aretha reached for the phone to notify the receptionist downstairs to schedule the next appointment. However, before she could pick up, Zach cut her off abruptly.

Seeing Ivy’s indifferent face and fiercely dismissive tone, Zach sighed. “Fine, I won’t inquire further. But after work ends, I’ll wait for you and we can have dinner.”

Dinner?

What a shameless man he is! She scoffed at the idea of this married man wanting to arrange dinner with an ex-girlfriend. Whenever his damned wife, Yuri Sanders, opens her mouth to mock and accuse, Ivy couldn’t help but smile.

“Dinner? A candlelight dinner?” Ivy Aretha laughed sarcastically. “If that’s the case, I’ll refuse. I don’t want to get a face full of sulfuric acid just for a meal.”

Thinking about Yuri Sanders’s menacing look, Ivy firmly believed that she would indeed throw acid.

“You’ve met Yuri Sanders?!” On hearing this, Zach looked stunned. In the next moment, his tight grip on Ivy’s wrist loosened.

Seeing Zach’s ghost-like expression when he heard her mention Yuri Sanders, Ivy shook her head silently. She found it baffling that he would dare to provoke her despite being scared himself. Men are truly shameless.

With a cold smile, Ivy looked at him with a darkened gaze, then sat back down at her desk. “I, Ivy Aretha, am not a saint, but I disdain to ruin other people’s families. Please, Mr. Gilbert, do not waste my time here. There won’t be any room for a ‘being friends with an ex-lover’ scenario in my world. If you have any business, let’s get it done. If not, get out!”

“Ivy, I didn’t mean that, I just…”

Zach’s words were abruptly cut off by the familiar cold voice.

“Ivy Aretha, even for making a cup of coffee, I need to do it myself. Why do I need a secretary like you?”

Michael Gordon glanced at Zach Gilbert, then turned his gaze to Ivy Aretha. “Is it your job to flirt during work hours?”

Flirt? Ivy Aretha’s eyes twitched. When did she flirt?

“Mr. Gordon, this is Mr. Gilbert, the one you had a meeting with!” Ivy Aretha quickly grabbed the coffee cup that was already emptied by Michael Gordon. “I’ll make the coffee!”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Gordon!”

It’s only when he met Michael Gordon did Zach Gilbert remember his reason for coming here.

“Ah, Zach Gilbert, right?” Michael Gordon eyed Zach Gilbert without any intention of showing respect. “Can’t you find yourself a wife? Or is your wife unattractive that you’re coming here to hit on my secretary?”

Ivy Aretha: “…”

Just as Ivy Aretha turned around with the coffee cup in hand, she was so taken aback by Michael’s statement that she nearly dropped the coffee cup. This man’s words are truly poisonous.

“Cough, cough!”

Zach Gilbert’s handsome face showed signs of embarrassment after being reprimanded by Michael Gordon. “Mr. Gordon, you’re joking. Ivy was my girlfriend once. Today is just a reunion. Just catching up.”

An ex-girlfriend? It seems that this brazen woman is quite popular. Yesterday, a deeply infatuated Mario Jensen appeared, and today her ex-boyfriend, Zach Gilbert shows up.

Who is her current boyfriend?

Michael Gordon’s eyebrows knitted slightly, and the corners of his eyes pulled into a strange smile. He silently went into his office without any intention of speaking with Zach.

When Ivy brought the coffee into Michael Gordon’s office, Zach Gilbert, who had arranged a meeting with him, was nowhere to be found.

“Mr. Gordon, here’s your coffee!” Ivy handed over the coffee and tried to exit the room. After the ordeal with Zach Gilbert, she was not in good standing with Michael. “Mr. Gordon, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take leave now!”

Michael Gordon didn’t speak. He just grabbed the coffee, took a sip, and put it down. It was only when Ivy was about to close the door behind her that he spoke up.

“Zach Gilbert is your ex-boyfriend?” Michael Gordon’s gaze was fixed on her retreating back. “Then is Mario Jensen your ex-ex-boyfriend?”

Ex-ex-boyfriend? Ivy paused, wondering why did Michael Gordon suddenly start caring about her affairs?

“Mr. Gordon, this is my private matter!” The implication was that she didn’t want to answer.

“But during office hours, it becomes public, and Zach Gilbert is a married man. I appointed you as my secretary for a few days, not for you to create a scandal!”

Annoyance was evident in Michael Gordon’s voice, the reason for which, he himself didn’t know.